Pop-rock is a broad genre in the scene today, and sometimes, it’s hard to pick out the gems. Today, we’ve got group of five guys that go by the name of Finding Atlantis who definitely stand out in our book. Although they’ve only been a band for under two years, Finding Atlantis write melodic pop-rock that is sure to get stuck in your head. These North Carolina natives have played shows with The Dangerous Summer and Divided By Friday, and we only see bigger things for them in the future. To learn a little more about Finding Atlantis, check out what they had to say about themselves below!
Members
Josh Willis- Drums
Arthur Balwah- Guitar
Chris Lane- Lead Vocals
Tony Brendel- Bass Player
Shawn James- Guitar/Vocals
Location
Winston-Salem, NC
Current Single
“Passions, Fights, and Flashing Lights”
How did Finding Atlantis form?
We were all in a band together a few years back that disbanded (no pun intended), so when Arthur, Josh, and Shawn started working on their new project they contacted me (Chris) to see if I knew anyone that would be interested in doing vocals, and I told them I’d keep an eye out. Then, when they asked how my new band was going, I told them it fell through, and they asked if I wanted to come jam and see how things went. So, I did, and it worked out pretty well. We naturally ended up getting Tony to fill in on bass for a few shows since he was in the old band with us, and we just ended up making him an official member since the chemistry between all of us was already there, and to avoid the awkward experience of getting a stranger to play in a band full of guys that were already good friends.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
I’d have to say probably either A: recording the first album, because it was such a good feeling to get back in the studio with those guys again and we were all really excited and pleased with the songs, especially considering how quickly we wrote them. Or, B: the Greene Street show we played when I heard the crowd singing along for the first time. We started playing our song “The Saltwater Cure” and out of nowhere half of the room just starts screaming the lyrics back at us. I’ve always told people the one thing I couldn’t wait for as a musician was that moment when you play a song and you hear the crowd singing the lyrics you wrote back at you, and when it happened I was so overwhelmed that I literally forgot the words myself, and almost broke into tears.
Why should people listen to you? What makes you different?
There are two reasons I think people should listen to us. 1: I had a rough childhood, and music was always something that helped me in tough times. So, I want people to listen to our songs and get that same sort of feeling. I want our music to help people to get through times when they feel like no one relates to what they’re feeling. I want people to play one of our songs and just go “wow, this is EXACTLY how I feel!” And, 2: I think people should listen to us because we’re genuine. We don’t make music just to put something out to make money or get famous, we make music because it’s what we’re passionate about, and what we love to do. I think that’s one of the biggest things that makes us different, as well as all of our diverse styles combining into one finished, well-constructed piece of art. Josh learned drums from playing gospel, I learned to sing from listening to a lot of RnB, Art and Shawn learned to play from pop/punk (such as Yearling, and blink-182), Tony were more into heavier punk (such as Emery), and we all sort of kind of combine those elements evenly, without making any of them stand out too muchvto create a unique sound that hopefully everyone can enjoy.
Connect with Finding Atlantis through their social media:
Twitter // Facebook // Soundcloud
